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DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 



IRISH 



reuioMg to \9ke flini^ Qeniuv^, 




WITH ACCOUNTS BY 



SCANDINAVIANS AND GERMANS 



IRLAND IT MIKLA" 



"VINLAND DAT CODE." 



NEW YORK. 



DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 



IRISH 



PREVIOUS TO THE NINTH CENTURY, 



WITH ACCOUNTS BY 



SCANDINAVIANS andGERMANS 



ex- 



3" 



"IRLAND IT MIKLA" 



A N D - 








-VINLAND DAT GODE." 



Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 

i88g, by 'I'iMOiiiY L. Ml'RrHY, in the 
office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. <^^ y 
All rights reserved. 



. 1 



M V 



DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 



IRISH 




LTHOUGH the title of this work indicates that Irish 

y^ people discovered America previous to the ninth cen- 

® tury, I will not attempt to show at what particular 

time that event took place. In such works as have 

come und&r my notice, relating to the early discoveries 

of America, I find no positive evidence that the Irish people 

ever discovered America in the sense in which the term is used, 

as applied to newly found lands. 

I believe, however, that a perusal of the following pages 
will leave little doubt in peoples' minds that a Celtic race 
once inhabited almost the entire Western Hemisphere, and 
that a large part of the North American Continent was known 
to the Northmen by the name of Great Ireland. Whether 
these Celts originally came from Ireland, or the people of 
Ireland from America, no one can say with absolute certainty. 

* * * * * 

Some historians inform us that little was known of Ireland by 
the ancients, and that no definite accounts of that island were 
obtained until the time of the invasion of Britain by the 
Romans. It is probable that Ireland knew far more of the 
ancients than they knew of Ireland. According to the map 
of Ptolemy, the central portion of Ireland was inhabited in 



4 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 

his clay by the Scoti ; the north by the Robogdii ; the east by 
the Darnii, Voluntii, Eblani, Cauci, Menapii and Coriundi; 
the south by the Brigantes, Vodiiand Iberni ; the west by the 
Luceni, Velaborii, Cangani, Auteri, Magnatae and Haudinii. 

For many centuries Ireland was known by the name of 
lerne. The name of Ogygia, "most ancient land," was applied 
to it by Plutarch. Ireland, styled lernis, is mentioned in a 
Greek poem five centuries before Christ, and by the names of 
Hibernia, Juverna and Iris, in various foreign pagan writers. 
Herodotus, four centuries before the Christian era, places the 
Celts beyond the Pillars of Hercules, and upon the borders of 
the most westerly region in Europe, and Caesar in the first 
century finds them in Britain and Gaul. Polybius, in the 
second century before Christ, alludes to the Britannic Islands 
beyond the Pillars of Hercules, and to the working of the 
mines by the inhabitants. 

A Greek poet, writing under the name of Orpheus, mentions 
these remote (British) islands under the name of the lernian 
Isles. 

A comparatively late writer, Festus Rufus Avienus, in his 
poetical " Description of the World," written from the account 
of Hamilcar, mentrons the plains of the Britons and the distant 
Thule, and talks of the sacred isle peopled by the nation of 
the Hiberni and the adjacent island of the Albiones. 

The ancients tell of a large island which was sunk in the 
Atlantic Ocean many centuries ago. In Solon's relation to the 
Egyptian Priests, we find the following words : 

*' There existed an ancient and celebrated people in Greece, 
the wisdom of whose laws, and fame of whose valor are re- 
nowned in the sacred writings and ancient annals of Egypt. 
This heroic race were as highly celebrated for their exploits by 
sea as by land, as was evident in their arduous contests with 
the mighty nation who formerly inhabited the vast island 
Atlantis, now buried in the ocean which bears its name. This 
island was situated near the straits of Gades, and it exceeded 
in magnitude all Europe and Asia joined together. It was so 
called from Atlas, the son of Neptune, whose descendants 



' BY THE IRISH. 5 

reigned there in an hereditary line, during a period of nine 
thousand years, and extended their sway over all the adjoin- 
ing regions, for there was an easy passage from this island to 
the neighboring islands and continents, and their armies pass- 
ing over into Europe and Africa subdued all Lybia, to the 
borders of Egypt, and all Europe to Asia Minor; in succeeding 
ages, owing to prodigious earthquakes and inundations in the 
space of one day and night, all that part of Greece which your 
ancestors inhabited was desolated and submerged, and the 
Atlantic island itself, being suddenly absorbed into the bosom 
of the ocean, entirely disappeared, and for many ages after- 
wards that sea could not be navigated, owing to the numerous 
rocks and shelves with which it abounded." 

Mr. Davis, in his "American Antiquities," says: 

"The appearance of the globe in that part in which the cat- 
astrophe is said to have happened, has been asserted by some 
learned men to bear marks of such an event having taken place; 
and that the Canaries, Azores, and Teneriffe, are nothing else 
than the tops of mountains belonging to land sunk in the Atlan- 
tic Ocean." Buffon says "this traditionof the Island Atlantis is 
not devoid of probability, and that the land swallowed up by the 
waters was perhaps that which united Ireland to the Azores, 
and the Azores to the continent of America." 

Mr. Whitehurst observes (see Whitehurst's works) that he 
is almost persuaded that Ireland was originally a part of the 
island Atlantis. 

This opinion of Whitehurst's is highly strengthened by the 
following remarkable tradition of the old Irish given by an 
author of the highest reputation, whose entire work I regret I 
have never been able to see. The gentleman alluded to is 
General Vallancey, who says the old Irish relate, that "a great 
part of Ireland was swallowed up by the sea; and that the 
sunken part often rises, and is frequently seen on the horizon 
from the northern coast. In the north-west they call a city of 
this enchanted island Tir Hud, or the city of Hud, believing 
one stands there which once possessed all the riches of the 



6 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 

world This is a general tradition with them. This island is 
called O'Braesil, or O'Brazil, which signifies Royal Island." 

General Vallancey says, "It is evidently the lost city of 
Arabian story, visited by their prophet Houd, the city and 
paradise of Irem." 

The following extracts, also, are taken from Mr. Davis' work: 

" The antiquities of America stretch from the great lakes of 
the north and west to the southern parts of Peru; from the 
Alleghany Mountains on the east, to the Rocky Mountains on 
the west; and even from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean." 

"The monumental history of Central America tells us that 
this is not a new world. And we awake with astonishment 
that there was once the seat of a great empire before David 
reigned over the twelve tribes of Israel, or Octavius waved his 
sceptre over the civilized world." 

"But alas! the foundation of cities as magnificent as those 
that adorned the banks of the Nile, have vanished like the 
generations before the flood." 

" The stone hatchets used by the Mexicans, we have the 
authority of the Archaeologia, Vol. IX. p. 97, to assert, were the 
same as those frequently found in Great Britain and which go 
by the name of Celts. Transmigration of souls was taught 
by the Druids of Great Britain. And it appears the natives 
of Otheite, Mexico, believed in it also." 

When the Spaniards arrived in South America they found 
stones cut into the figure of the cross, which were much revered 
by the Mexicans. 

General Vallancey says, "The symbol of knowledge among 
the ancient Irish was the cross." 

There are forts in Mexico the general principle of the work 
of which is undoubtedly of very great antiquity. There is 
one of these ancient forts in Ireland (see Trans. Irish Aceol, 
Vol. II.) named Norseleap, which is almost precisely similar to 
some found on the Muskingum. Mounds similar to those in 
Mexico, are common in Great Britain. (See Archaeologia, Vol. 
XVI. p. 268. 

It is still the custom there with the natives in passing such 



BY THE IRISH. 7 

a place, to cast thereon a stone to increase tlie monumental 
pile. The ceremonies observed with the Irish are individually 
the same with the Mexicans. 

Mr. Bryant says, "that wherever these monuments occur, 
we may esteem them of the hic^hest antiquity." Such works 
are generally referred to the Celts and Druids. 

Mr. Henry R. Schoolcraft, in an address before the New 
York Historical Society in 1846, said, "an inscription found in 
1838, on opening the gigantic pile of earth or tumulus, hereto- 
fore referred to, on the alluvial plains of Grave Creek in 
Western Virginia, was in one of the types of this ancient 
character. This type of the alphabet may be called Aonic, a 
term derived from the aboriginal vocabulary. I visited the 
locality in 1843, carefully examined the facts, and having 
satisfied myself of the authenticity of the discovery, took 
duplicate copies of the inscription in wax and transmitted 
them to Europe. The inscription consists of twenty-three 
letters, together with a pictorial device, apparently a man's 
head on a pike. Professor Charles Rafn, of Copenhagen, 
deems the characters Celtiberic. Thirteen of the characters 
correspond with the Druidical, or old British, as it existed 
before the invasion of Julius Caesar. The latter are, however, 
almost identical as far as comparison goes, with the Celtiberic. 

Clavigaro, in his history of Mexico, relates that the Mexi- 
cans describe the giants, who were ruined at the time of the 
great earthquakes. 

In Moore's history of Ireland, it appears that the Attacots, 
or giant race, existed in Ireland, a. d. 126. 

According to ancient Irish writers, Ireland was visited by a 
wonderful phenomena of lightning about that time, which 
destroyed nearly every temple on the whole island, and caused 
the death by lightning stroke of nearly 2,000 persons. It was, 
they say, such a phenomena as had never been seen since the 
beginning of the world, and never will be again until the 
judgment day. 

In Brownell's " Discoveries, Pioneers and Settlers of North 
and South America," we find the following: 



8 DISCOVKkV OK AMERICA 

"When Iceland was first settled by the Northmen, a small 
colony of Cliristians, who are supposed to have come from 
Ireland, were found there." This was in the year86i. 

Haverty, in his "History of Ireland, Ancient aud Modern," 
says: 

"Irishmen were the first Christians, and, perhaps the first 
inhabitants of Iceland, which they called Thule, or Tyle." 

Mr. Browned says: 

" There are several ancient Norse records, all treating of 
persons historically known to have existed in America, 
whither formerly vessels came from Ireland." 

Mr. Davis says: 

" From a letter preserved by the son of Columbus, it appears 
he visited Iceland. It was thought by the Icelanders that he 
there obtained a knowledge of the discovery of America, and 
that as he was rather artful, he concealed the knowledge from 
mankind. 

A work entitled, " Discovery of America by the Northmen," 
was published in London, England, in the year 1841, by North 
Ludlow Beamish, Fellow of the Royal Society and member 
of the Royal Danish Society of Northern Antiquities, author 
of the " History of the German Legion," etc. Mr. Beamish 
was associated with Charles Christian Rafn, Knight of the 
Royal Danish Order of Dannebrog, of the Royal Swedish 
Order of the North Star, Counsellor of State to His Majesty, 
the King of Denmark, Professor of Northern Literature, 
Fellow of the Royal Antiquarian Society of London, and 
Secretary of the Royal Society of Northern Antiquaries. From 
Mr. Beamish's work, the following extracts are derived: 

"Amongst the various valuable and important publications 
of the Royal Danish Society of Northern Antiquaries, that 
which has created the greatest general interest in the literary 
world, is the able and elaborate work of Prof. Rafn, which 
came out at Copenhagen in the year 1837, under the title of 
Antiquitates Americanae, sii'e Scripiores Septentrionales rerum 
Anti-Columhiananiin in America. This interesting publication, 
the fruit of great literary labor and extensive research, clearly 



nv THE IRISH. 9 

shows that the eastern coast of North America was discovered 
and colonized by the Northmen, more than five hundred years 
bafore the reputed discovery of Columbus." 

" These facts rest upon the authority of ancient Icelandic 
manuscripts preserved in the Royal and UniversityLibraries of 
Copenhagen, and which have now been for the first time trans- 
lated and made public. Fac-similes of the most important of 
these documents are given in Prof. Rafn's work, together with 
maps and delineations of ancient monuments illustrative of the 
subject. A Danish and Latin translation follows the Icelandic 
text, and the whole is accompanied by introductory obser- 
vations, philological and historical remarks, as well as 
archaeological and geographical disquisitions of high interest 
and value." 

"The incidental allusions to the voyages and settlements of 
the Irish, which are contained in the minor narratives, are 
more likely to excite than satisfy enquiry. Much still remains 
to be unraveled on this interesting subject, and it is to be 
regretted that no competent hands have yet been applied to 
this neglected portion of Irish history. It has been too much 
the practice to decry as fabulous, all statements claiming for 
the earlier inhabitants of Ireland, a comparatively high degree 
of advancement and civilization, and notwithstanding the 
many valuable publications connected with the history and 
antiquities of that country, which have from time to time come 
forth, and the more recent candid, learned and eloquent pro- 
duction of Mr. Moore, there are not wanting (even among her 
sons) those who with the anti-Irish feeling of the bigoted 
Cambrensis, would sink Ireland in the scale of national dis- 
tinction, and deny her claims to that early eminence in religion, 
learning and the arts, which unquestionable records so fully 
testify. And yet, a very little unpredjudiced enquiry would 
be sufficient to satisfy the candid mind that Erin had good 
claims to be called the " School of the West," and her sons. 
^^Inclyta gens hominutn, Milite, Pace, Fide." 

This much at least, will the following pages show: That 
sixty-five years previous to the discovery of Iceland by the 



10 DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 

Northmen in the ninth century, Irish emigrants had visited 
and inhabited that island; that about the year 725, Irish 
ecclesiastics had sought seclusion upon the Faroe Islands; 
that in the tenth century, voyages between Iceland and Ireland 
were of ordinary occurrence; and that in the eleventh century, 
a country west from Ireland, and south of that part of the 
American Continent which was discovered by the adventurous 
Northmen in the jireceding age, was known to them under the 
name of White Man's Land, or Great Ireland. 

From what cause could the name of Great Ireland have 
arisen, but from the fact of the country having been colonized 
by the Irish ? Prof. Rafn is of opinion that White Man's Land, 
or Great Ireland of the Northmen was the country situated to 
the south of Chesapeake Bay, including North and South 
Carolina, Georgia and East Florida. Shawanese Indians used 
to say that Florida was once inhabited by white men, who 
used iron instruments. 

Lionel Wafer, who resided for several months amongst the 
inhabitants of the Isthmus of America, says: 

" My knowledge of the Highland language made me the 
more capable of learning the Darien Indians' language, when 
I was among them, for there is some atifinity, for many of the 
words bear a marked similarity to those of the Celtic." 

It is remarkable also what an Indian King said to a Spaniard, 
viz.: "That in foregoing ages a strange people arrived there 
by sea." 

It is certain that when the Spaniards first conquered Mexico, 
they were surprised to hear the inhabitants discourse of a 
strange people, that formerly caf7ie thither in corrau^hs, who 
taught them the knowledge of God, and of immortality, 
instructed them also in virtue and morality, and prescribed 
holy rites and ceremonies of religion. 

It may be here remarked, that the word " corraugh " is an 
Irish name of a large boat. 

The British language is so prevalent here, that the very 
towns, bridges, beasts, birds, rivers, hills, etc., are called by 
British names. 



BY THE IRISH. 11 

PART II. 

Minor Narratives. 

The following selections are made from that division of the 
Antiquitates Americanae, entitled " Breviores Relations," being 
extracts and short narratives taken from various Icelandic 
manuscripts now extant in the Royal and University Libraries 
of Copenhagen. They will be found to contain some inter- 
esting particulars of the traces of Irish settlers found in Ice- 
land previous to the occupation of that island by the Nor- 
wegians in the ninth century, as well as authentic accounts of 
voyages performed by the Northmen in the year 999 and 1029, 
to that part of the Western Hemisphere known to them under 
the name of White Man's Land, or Great Ireland. (Hvitra- 
manna land eder Irland it Mikla.) 

A. — From the "History of King Olaf Tryggvason." Ac- 
cording to the Second Vellum Codex, No. 61. Fol. 

Thus says the holy priest, Bede, in the chronicles which he 
wrote concerning the regions of the earth : " That the island 
which is called Thule in the books, lies so far in the north 
part of the world, that there came no day in the winter, when 
the night is longest, and no night in summer, when the day is 
longest. Therefore think learned men, that it is Iceland which 
is called Thule, for there are many places in that land, where 
the sun sets not at night, when the day is longest, and in the 
same manner, where the sun cannot be seen by day, when the 
night is longest. But the holy priest, Bede, died DCCXXXV. 
vears after the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, more than a 
hundred and twenty years before Iceland was inhabited by 
the Northmen. But before Iceland was colonized from Nor- 
way, men had been there whom the Northmen called Papas. 1 
They were Christians, for after them were found Irish books 
bells, and croziers, and many other things, from whence it 



12 DISCOVKRV OK AMKRICA 

could be seen tluit they were Christian men, and liad come 
from the west over the sea. English books also show that, in 
that time, there was intercourse between tlie two countries." 

B. — From the Schedule of Ari Frode, No. 54, Fol. 

At that time was Iceland covered with woods, between the 
mountains and the shore. Then were here Christian people, 
whom the Northmen called Papas, but they went afterwards 
away, because they would not be here amongst heathens ; 
and left after them Irish books, and bells, and croziers, from 
which could be seen that they were Irishmen. But then 
began people to travel much here out from Norway, until 
King Harold forbade it because it appeared to him that the 
land had begun to be thinned of inhabitants. 



Voyage of Gudleif Gudlangson 

TO 

Great Ireland, A. D. 1029. 



Gudleif hight a man, during the reign of King Olaf the 
Saint, undertook a trading voyage to Dublin, but was driven 
far to the west, in the sea, where no land was to be seen. 
After many days it came to pass that they saw land. It was 
a great land, but they knew not what land it was. When 
they had been a short time on shore, came people to them. 
They knew none of the people, but it rather appeared to tJtem 
that they spoke Irish. Soon came to them so great a number 
that it made up many hundreds. Their Chief, who understood 
the Northern tongue, made many inquiries about his people in 
Ireland, and he gave them a gold ring to take to a lady in 
Dublin. Then they were allowed to depart. 



BY THE IRISH. 13 



Description of Great Ireland. 

{From an A tic lent Norse Record.) 

"To the south of habitable Greenhind there are uninhabi- 
table and wild tracts, and enormous icebergs. The country 
of the Skroelligs lies beyond these ; Markland beyond this, 
and Vinland the Good (New England) beyond the last. Next 
to this, and something beyond it, lies Albania, that is Hvi- 
tramannaland, whither formerly vessels came from Ireland. 
There several Irishmen and Icelanders saw and recognized 
Ari, the son of Mar and Kothlu of Reykianess, concerning 
whom nothing had been heard for a long time, and who had 
been made their chief by the inhabitants of the land." 

"This Ari Marson is elsewhere described as having been 
driven in a tempest (983) to the region called Hvitramanna- 
land (White Man's Land) or Irland it Mikla (Ireland the 
Great) which lay far to the West of Ireland, and may perhaps 
have been the southern or middle states of America." 

In an account of a voyage to "Vinland dat Gode " (New 
England), an incident is related of a German sailor who had 
strayed away from the camp of the Northmen. They be- 
coming alarmed at his absence, went in search of him. They 
found him in a pleasant little valley, apparently in high glee. 
In answer to their enquiries he said that he had found grapes, 
and had eaten his fill of the luscious fruit, which seemed to be 
the same as grew along the banks of his native Rhine. 

We have it on good authority that the antiquities of Amer- 
ica cover a period of six thousand years. Palenqua, an 
ancient city of Central America, is estimated to have been 
sixty miles in circumference, and to have had nearly three 
million inhabitants. Ruins of buildings which are classed 
among the most magnificent in the world, and works of art, 
of the rarest kind, have been found in Mexico and Central 
America. 



14 DISCOVERY OK AMERICA 

One great difficulty with American antiquarians has been, 
that they had not an understanding of the Irish language. If 
they had, they would have readily recognized the many Irish 
names in Mexico, Central America and South America. The 
section of territory around Mexico was called Anahuac; if we 
suppose the original pronunciation to have been Anahuig, in- 
stead of Anahuac, we have the compound Irish word, 
signifying Great Fifth. Ireland was in ancient times divided 
into fifths, called " Cuigs," which, when compounded with, and 
preceded by another word, is pronounced " huig." We are 
informed by American writers that another great section of 
territory of the ancient Americans was called Nehuedafallan. 
I am inclined to think that they have slightly mispronounced 
the name, as in the case of Anahuac. If we suppose the name 
to have been Nehuigafallan, or Unhuigafallan we have the com- 
pound Irish word signifying " The Fifth of the Wall," which 
would indicate a territory bounded by a wall, or chain of hUls. 
One of their great cities was named Tulla. There is to this day 
a town in Ireland by the name of Tulla. Another of their cities 
was called Tulloom. There is in Ireland a town named Tuila- 
more, and, I believe, one also named Tulloom. There was the 
Mexican city of Tehauntepec. Irish speaking persons will 
recognize the word tehaun, as signifying house in their langu- 
age. If we say Tehaunthapig, instead of Tehauntepec, we have 
the compound Irish word, "housequick," which would signify, 
quickly erected house. In Mexico, also, was the statue of 
Gubernadore, which in Irish, signifies woi'k of art. 

The question may be asked, how shall we account for the 
American Indian, or Red Man ? If we accept the version that 
the Irish, the Atlantes and the American Celts all formed, at 
one time, one race, and perhaps one nation, then, perhaps, he 
may be accounted for on the theory that the Atlantes took 
prisoners, whom they carried off as slaves, and whose descen- 
dants gradually escaped into the wild regions, and in time 
spread themselves over all the hemisphere. Would it be impos- 
sible for such a race to spring from a mixture of the swarthy 
races in Southern Europe, Turkey and Egypt ? The Romans 



BY THE IRISH. 15 

used to allude to the Carthaginians as "neither white nor 
black." The American Celtic race has passed away, from 
what causes is not known. Perhaps they were gradually 
exterminated by war, pestilence and famine. Central America, 
where the most traces of their existence remain, is a very 
unhealthful country. Perhaps it was not so, until the forests 
which stood between it and the guano beds along the north 
coast of South America, were cut down, when the deadly 
vapors arising from those guano deposits were borne directly 
to it, breeding yellow fever and other diseases among its in- 
habitants. The stream of water which flows through the body 
of the earth and comes to the surface at the Gulf of Mexico, 
thence forming the Gulf Stream, may also conduce to its 
unhealthfulness. Earthquakes are mentioned. It is likely 
that great earthquakes will occur again. The stream of water 
just referred to, is doing its work slowly but surely, in the in- 
terior of the earth. In time, large excavations are probably 
formed, wherein the earth suddenly settles, and continents are 
submerged. Perhaps, in a remote future age, when places where 
now dry land is, will be covered with water, Atlantis will again 
rise to the surface, and the ruins of Tir Hud be exposed to an 
astonished world. 



THE END. 





















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